MacTech Blog

Sep 19

Enough of this talk about Apple losing its mojo

Enough is enough. I'm tired of all the talk that Apple has lost its mojo.

No doubt you've heard lots of such talk lately. It goes like this: "The iPhone 5 was just what was expected, nothing more and was a disappointment" "The iPhone 5 media event was nothing compared with a Steve Jobs media event."

Let's look at reality. Is the iPhone 5 a "disappointment"? Well, if you call selling out of pre-orders within 24 hours after being announced, I guess that's a disappointment. If you call the placement of two million iPhone orders within 24 hours (more than double the previous record of one million by the iPhone 4S) disappointing, then I guess it's a disappointment. If you call the unveiling of new, long overdue earbuds and a chip that may be a unique Apple design disappointing, then I guess it's a disappointment.

However, in the real world, the launch of the iPhone 5 is anything but a disappointment. It's a smash hit.

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8269677) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a dual-band cavity backed antenna for an integrated desktop computer -- in other words, the iMac.

Per the patent, an electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A dielectric antenna window may be formed in an opening in one of the conductive housing walls. A dielectric logo may form the dielectric antenna window. A dielectric support structure may have an outline that matches the dielectric logo. An antenna resonating element for an antenna may be formed on the dielectric support structure.

An antenna cavity for the antenna may be formed by a conductive cavity structure. A pattern of voids in the dielectric support structure may reduce dielectric loading for the antenna. The conductive cavity structure may be formed from solderable plated metal. The conductive cavity structure may have a planar lip that is attached to the conductive housing walls...

It's already well known that the latest Apple smartphone is a big hit. Preorders at the Apple online store sold out within an hour of the iPhone 5 going on sale.

Within 24 hours of Apple CEO Tim Cook's unveiling of the iPhone 5, Toluna QuickSurveys (www.Toluna.com) undertook the first large scale consumer reaction to the launch. Overwhelmingly, the survey of 2000 Americans found consumers reacted positively to the announcement with half of consumers saying they were extremely satisfied with the features unveiled.

In particular, 58% were impressed by the new look, with consumers between the ages of 18-34 (61%) slightly more impressed than consumers over 35 (55%). Other findings included:

° Extended battery life was the favorite element of the new phone followed by the enhanced processing power and speed.

° People who already own an iPhone are more likely to upgrade to the iPhone 5 with 76% saying...

Americans are being killed in distant places around the world, in effect, due to policies Google reckons to be protective of freedom of expression on the web. In theory, a strict policy of letting content stand makes sense and protects us from highhanded authoritative governments. There are limits to any theory, which, when taken to an extreme, begin to fade in the light of day.

Such light ought to be dawning in Mountain View, about now. Years of work by our State Department to appear even-handed in the Arab sphere of influence is being swiftly undone by access to a fourth rate movie about Mohammad, content that Google insists needs to stay posted on the web. This to satisfy the web's "freedom of the wild west" mentality that also screams of anarchy. Anarchy might be the opposite of repressiveness, but at the end of the day, is it any better? To much law or too little law. See http://www.debka.com/article/22358/Post-Arab-Spring-%...

"Unless something changes, books as we know them are doomed, and not simply because people prefer to read on their iPads or Kindles" says Levin, (www.BusinessGhost.com), a "New York Times" best-selling author, as well as editor, publisher, co-writer and ghostwriter. "You’ll see the major publishing houses starting to go away in three to five years. Their business model is in free fall. Already, we’re seeing books becoming shorter, cheaper, and diminishing in quality. You’ll soon see fewer really good authors bothering to write books, because books are no longer a meaningful source of revenue."

Levin points to several developments he says foreshadow a sad ending for books:

° Attention spans are diminishing. Three-fourths of teachers said their students’ attention spans are shorter than ever, according to a poll released in June....

Rumors say that complicated licensing deals with uncooperative film/TV studios and satellite/cable providers are delaying the rumored Apple-branded HDTV (the "iTV") as well as a cable-ready Apple TV (http://macte.ch/W0PHd). If and when such deals are hammered out, Apple could be in a great position as far as "capturing the living room" is concerned.

According to an "Associated Press" report (macte.ch/mbyw0), the number of U.S. homes that don't get traditional television service continues to increase, but that doesn't mean they don't have TVs. The Nielsen company says in a recent report that three-quarters of the estimated five million U.S. homes that don't get TV signals over the airways or through cable, satellite or telecommunications companies still have TV sets.

Many of these homes are satisfied to use their TVs for games or get programming through DVDs or services like Netflix or Apple TV,...

It's mid-September, and for techheads that can only mean one thing: The iPhone 5 is now up for grabs on store shelves. In retrospect, have the cynics (and conversely, the promoters) been proven right? Did the iPhone 5 really deserve the waves of hype it made on the tech front?

Let's go over some of the most prominent promises made and kept.

The A6 chip

Before the release, reports of the iPhone5 incorporating the much hyped quad-core A6 chip were rampant. This, however, seemed to have been fueled by camps from both sides of the fence.

If you'll remember, the excitement over the previously released A5X chip had been quickly silenced by cries of supposed foul play, mainly directed at the chip not turning out to be truly quad-core. While more a marketing "snafu" than anything else (the chip only had a dual-core CPU, although its GPU was quad-core), it nevertheless incensed a lot of consumers who...

An Apple patent (number 201202237) shows that Apple is working on ways for cursors in Mac OS X to more easily transition based on where it's located on screen and what activity is underway at the time.

Responsive to a trigger event, a first cursor state having a first visual appearance is transitioned into a second cursor state having a second visual appearance. A transition type and transition time can be specified so that the transition can be visually perceived by a user. The cursor states can be associated with different cursor types and/or cursor schemes.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "A cursor is a moving placement or pointer that indicates a position on a display. Some computer operating systems use multiple cursor types. For example, an arrow cursor may be used in one application and a crosshair or text cursor may be used in another application. Different cursor types can help a user interact with an operating system and applications...

An Apple patent (number 20120233569) for managing user interface control panels on the Mac has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Per the patent, a computer-implemented method includes displaying a user interface on a display device, the user interface displaying a content item, in response to receiving input, displaying a user interface control panel including a user interface control, the user interface control configured to enable modifying one or more attributes of the content item, and in response to detecting a first selection of the user interface control, displaying a portion of the user interface control panel and hiding a portion of the user interface control panel, the displayed portion of the user interface control panel including the user interface control.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "Software applications can edit content items such as images, video, audio, documents, and the like. Content items, such as...

Apple has filed a patent (number 2012022970) with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for "zoom indication for stabilizing unstable video clips." It involves the improved stabilization feature found on the iPhone 5 and latest iPod touch, as well as its various video editing applications.

A computer-implemented method for zoom indication for stabilizing unstable video clips is described. To indicate zoom, a zoom value associated with an unstable segment of a video clip is received. The zoom value represents a value by which frames of the video clip in the unstable segment need to be zoomed to stabilize the unstable segment. An indicia is displayed representing the zoom value in a thumbnail in a user interface. The thumbnail represents the video clip. The indicia displayed over a region in the thumbnail corresponding to the unstable segment in the video clip.

Here's Apple's background on the invention: "Digital video clips can be recorded using digital video cameras...

Yesterday's Apple media event held no major surprises. The iPhone 5, a new iTunes, a new iPod touch and a new iPod nano were revealed -- as everyone expected. There was no iPad mini, 13-inch Retina display MacBook Pro or updated iMac announcements. But they're coming.

With that in mind, here are some random thoughts that occurred to me during the media event:

° No "one more thing." Apple CEO Tim Cook didn't try to emulate Steve Jobs' famous routine of saving the biggest news of all for the end of the event, a la a "one more thing" announcement. In fact, Cook and the gang did the opposite. They started with the biggest news (the iPhone 5) and saved the least earth-shaking news (new iPods) for last. That's less dramatic, but Cook is smart enough not to copy Jobs' act.

° Naming schemes. Okay, the newest iPad is the "new iPad," the newest version of iTunes is the "new iTunes" the latest iPod touch is the "new iPod touch," the reinvented iPod nano is the "new iPad...

Apple has filed a patent (number 20120231778) for microphone proximity detection that may relate to the new beam-forming, directional microphone system in the iPhone 5.

A mobile communications device contains at least two microphones. One microphone is located away from the handset receiver and serves to pick up voice of a near end user of the device for transmission to the other party during a call. Another microphone is located near the handset receiver and serves to pick up acoustic output of the handset receiver (a far end signal).

A signal processor measures the frequency response of the receiver. The signal processor performs spectral analysis of the receiver frequency response to determine whether or not the device is being held at the ear of the user. On that basis, the device automatically changes its operating mode, e.g., turns on or off a touch sensitive display screen during the call. Other embodiments are also described.

Today at 10 am (Pacific) Apple will hold a special media event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The invite sent to the media says simply that, "It's almost here." Here's what I see being announced:

The next gen iPhone, of course, is a no-brainer. The only shock will be if Apple doesn't announce a new version of its smartphone. I've long doubted that it would be dubbed the "iPhone 5," but now it seems obvious that it will be. Why? Look carefully at the graphic from the media invitation ...

The iPhone 5 will sport a slimmer form factor wrapped around a 4-inch Retina display; that's up from the iPhone 4S’s current 3.5-inch offering. It will pack iOS 6, a quad-core A6 processor and a 9-pin dock connector that -- for better or worse -- replaces the current 30-pin standard. I also expect the iPhone 5 to support compatibility with LTE networks in the U.S., Europe and Asia. I'm not anticipating it, but I'd love to see an iPhone with...

An Apple patent (number 8265450) for the creation and management of voicemail greetings for mobile communication devices has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Per the patent, a user of a mobile communication device can create and manage multiple voicemail greetings. In one aspect, a user of a mobile communication device can create customized voicemails. The customized voicemails can be assigned to specific contacts (or groups of contacts) known to the mobile communication device. The customized voicemail greetings can also have controlled expiration dates. In another aspect, customized voicemails can be assigned to incoming calls in real-time.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "Today, wireless service providers provide voicemail services to their wireless subscribers using mobile phones. When a caller to a mobile phone is directed to voicemail, the user receives whatever voicemail greeting has been configured for the particular mobile phone....

Apple has won a patent (number 8264820) for a handheld computing device and handheld music player. It's for the iPod nano.

The handheld computing device includes a seamless enclosure formed from an extruded tube. The extruded tube includes open ends and internal rails which serve as a guide for slidably assembling an operational assembly through the open ends of the extruded tube, a reference surface for positioning the operational assembly relative to an access opening in the seamless enclosure, and a support structure for supporting the operational assembly during use. The handheld music player includes an elongated extruded tube extending along a longitudinal axis.

The elongated extruded tube has a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end, and defines an internal lumen which is sized and dimensioned for slidable receipt of operational components of the handheld music player. The lumen includes rails for guiding the operational components to...

New research commissioned by Crucial.com, which provides memory upgrades, provides some insight into the frustration experienced by Americans when it comes to the overall performance of their computers.

The nationwide survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Crucial.com, revealed that more than half (52%) of U.S. adults who own a computer have been unhappy with the performance of their computer in the past six months, with an overwhelming majority (94%) of those who have experienced performance problems indicating that their computer performance issues have caused them to experience stress.

The glib answer to this is easy: get a Mac. But I'm serious.

When those who have experienced stress as a result of their computer’s performance issues were asked to compare computer-induced stress with other forms of stress, they indicated that their computer performance issues, such as slow loading programs, unresponsiveness, and crashes, were more...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8264310) for its Smart Cover for the iPad. The patent is for an accessory device for peek mode.

A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.

An Apple patent (number 8265022) for an apparatus and methods for transmission of emergency call data over wireless networks has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

The invention is for methods and apparatus for providing useful data in association with a high-priority call such as an emergency call. In one embodiment, the data comprises a data (e.g., an MSD or FSD) embedded within one or more real-time protocol packets such as RTP Control Protocol (RTCP) packets, that are interspersed within the voice or user data stream (carried in e.g., RTP packets) of an emergency call.

Apparatus and methods are described for transmitting the data portion reliably from the initiating terminal (e.g., an in-vehicle system) to a Public Safety Answering Point CPSAP), by using the same transport connection as the user data.

Global connected automotive infotainment system shipments are expected to grow from 5.7 million in 2012 to 50.9 million in 2017, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). While the US is currently the leading market, it will be overtaken by both Europe and Asia-Pacific by 2017, says the research group. This could be good news for Apple and its Siri technology.

"Infotainment remains a strong driver for the connected car market with both connected navigation and multimedia streaming about to become standard features, especially in the US market," says ABI Vice President and Practice Director Dominique Bonte. "In Europe the TomTom-powered embedded Renault Carminat Live solution has seen stellar success.”

However, convergence is clearly the biggest dynamic in this nascent market with OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] such as Honda recently launching solutions based on smartphone integration...

An error message displayed in the latest beta of iOS 6 for Apple TV suggests that support for iBooks may be coming to Apple's set-top box. But what about the Mac?

After downloading an e-book from Apple's iBookstore, an Apple TV tied to the same iTunes account will present users with a notification, according to "AppleInsider" (www.appleinsider.com) The prompt tells the user that the Apple TV attempted to automatically download the iBooks content, but it couldn't be accessed because the device doesn't have the necessary software installed.

That's all well and good, but I'd still like to see iBooks, the iBookstore and iTunes U available on Mac OS X, as well as Newsstand. I want to be able to buy books, textbooks and magazines and have them -- via iCloud -- synced across all my iOS and OS X devices so I can read them whenever and wherever I choose. It makes much more sense to have ebooks and e-mags...

An Apple patent (number 20120226774) for "display snooping" has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It's designed to provide displays that may be used as secondary display devices.

Per the patent, circuitry may be placed in a communication pathway between a host computer and a second display device external to the host computer. One example provides an interface circuit that receives communication signals from a host computer. These signals may be AUX signals sent over a DisplayPort or Thunderbolt connection. The interface circuit may pass these signals to the second display device directly, it may modify them before passing them on, it may ignore them, or the interface circuit may pass them to a processor associated with the second display device.

Here's Apple's background on the invention: "Computing environments continue to evolve. One of the latest evolutionary steps is the use of more than one display screen to view data generated by a computer...

An Apple patent (number 20120224710) for a wireless headset device that includes an earbud assembly and a primary housing assembly, fixed to the earbud assembly, has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "The present invention relates to headsets and methods for manufacturing the same. Headsets are communication devices that are worn on a user's head in order to allow hands free data and/or voice communication with a host device such as a computer, phone handset, cellular phone, an automobile and/or the like. Headsets can include one or more speakers (in proximity to one or both ears) for audio output and/or one or more microphones for audio input.

"Headsets can come in a variety of form factors or shapes. In some cases, headsets can be embodied as an earpiece that serves as the primary support mechanism for wearing the headset. For example the headset may be supported on the head by an earpiece worn over or in...

Apple has filed a patent (number 20120225677) with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for synchronizing mobile and vehicle devices -- especially in regard to mapping features.

Per the patent, location information is received at a mobile device from the memory of a vehicle device. The mobile device is updated based on the location information. Sensor data is received from at least one sensor measuring movement of the mobile device, and an estimated location of the mobile device is calculated based at least in part on the location information and the sensor data.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "The role of traditional printed maps is being supplanted by modern devices capable of rendering dynamic map displays. Devices that include mapping or navigation applications provide information regarding an area selected by a user by recalling map data from local memory or networked services.

Strategy Analytics' (www.strategyanalytics.com) latest tablet survey -- which covered six countries across three continents-- found that demand for 7-inch screens among future tablet owners was slightly stronger than for current iPad owners.

The "Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen Strategies Service Report" found that 10-inch screens remained the most popular preference across all countries. However, across all six countries, 20% of the sample of 923 tablet owners (including iPad owners) would prefer a 7-inch screen device for their next purchase.

The Strategy Analytics research showed marked differences between countries, particularly between US/UK, France, Germany, and Asian markets, including desired screen size, the most popular applications, distribution channels used, brand perceptions and timeframes for replacement tablet purchase.

An Apple patent (number 20120227006) for a configurable input device has popped up at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It shows that Apple is working on methods and systems related to having an input device configured according to a position of a user's hand relative to the input device.

In particular, in some embodiments, a method of operating a computing system is provided that includes determining an operational context of the computing system utilizing a processor of the system and configuring an input device for the system based on the operational context. The input device includes a plurality of discrete input members.

The method also includes displaying a virtual image representative of the input device on a display of the system. A position of a user's digits relative to the input device is sensed and the input device is reconfigured based on the sensed position of the user's digits. An image of the user's digits overlaying the virtual image...

Two new Apple patents show that the company is investigating further haptic feedback and electronic percussion input methods for its devices.

Patent number 20120223824 is for a linear vibrator providing localized haptic feedback. The invention involves an apparatus for providing haptic feedback, including: a shell defining an aperture; a driver disposed within the shell; a mass disposed within the coil; and a projection connected to the mass and extending through the aperture. Also described is a method for providing generalized and localized haptic feedback, including the operations of: receiving an input signal; determining if the input signal corresponds to a generalized haptic feedback; if so, providing a first input to a linear vibrator; otherwise, providing a second input to a linear vibrator; wherein the linear vibrator outputs a generalized haptic feedback in response to the first input; and the linear vibrator outputs a localized haptic feedback in...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 20120222985) for a composite enclosure; the invention involves the build of the iPhone.

Per the patent, a composite enclosure for housing electronic devices, and methods related thereto, are provided. In particular, in some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a composite enclosure for housing electronic devices includes winding composite material about a mandrel and curing the composite material to create a composite hoop.

A panel is formed in a separate process that includes stacking a plurality of composite layers in a mold and curing the composite layers to create a composite panel. The composite hoop and the composite panel are bonded together to form the composite enclosure.

Here's Apple's background on the invention: "A typical mobile phone enclosure consists of a back panel, four side walls, and a glass front panel. Generally, the enclosure may be made of molded plastic, metal or other materials. Composite...

In a "Bloomberg" analysis (http://macte.ch/2Rk4z), Mark Milian notes that Apple, Google and Roku see an untapped market in set-top boxes that deliver online entertainment to the television, but they've yet to make a major impact.

Still, the overall market for such devices, which compete with hardware from cable and satellite TV operators, is growing. Research firm IHS ISuppli (www.isuppli.com) said sales of these set-top boxes rose 39% last year to 8.6 million units globally. However, Applesold 32 million iPads in fiscal 2011, its second year on the market. The company sold around 2.8 million Apple TVs during the same span, and so far has sold four million of the devices this fiscal year.

Milian notes that technology executives and analysts say that if these boxes could just offer more cable programming, then they could succeed. On the other...

Apple has filed a patent (number 8,259,017) for a hybrid antenna for electronic devices.

Per the patent, the hybrid antenna may include a slot antenna structure and a planar inverted-F antenna structure. The planar inverted-F antenna structure may be formed from traces on a flex circuit substrate. A backside trace may form a series capacitance for the planar inverted-F antenna structure.

The antenna slot may have a perimeter that is defined by the location of conductive structures such as flex circuits, metal housing structures, a conductive bezel, printed circuit board ground conductors, and electrical components. Springs may be used in electrically connecting these conductive elements. A spring-loaded pin may be used as part of an antenna feed conductor. The pin may connect a transmission line path on a printed circuit board to the planar inverted-F antenna structure while allowing the planar inverted-F antenna structure to be removed from the device for rework or...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8255571) for updating multiple computing devices. It seems to involve the features of iCloud that lets you keep various types of data in sync among all other OS X and iOS devices.

The patent is for a system that system includes a server site that includes a memory for storing update data sets that correspond to data sets stored on multiple computing devices of a user. The system also includes a synchronization manager for determining that one computing device associated with the user and another computing device associated with the user are absent one or more data updates stored in the memory at the server site. The synchronization manager is configured to send in parallel, absent establishing a data transfer lock, the one or more data updates to the both computing devices of the user for updating the corresponding data stored on each computing device.

Last Month the Spy recounted his adventures with changing his Linux server to a bigger, badder machine running a much more recent OS. This month, he bit yet another migration bullet, moving into a new laptop.

Why an issue? Software. The longtime reader may recall the iconoclast Spy has continued to use good old reliable Eudora for his mail client, lo these many years. Well, he cannot do that even with Lion, much less Mountain Lion. BTW, the new machine is a 15-inch Retina PowerBook Pro tricked out with 16G of RAM and a 500G SSD.

Retinal impressions are somewhat mixed. The Spy has been using a 17-inch, mid-2007 vintage MacBook Pro, and going down a size causes a noticeable reduction in screen real estate -- though when in desktop mode hooked up to a larger monitor this is scarcely an issue. The new screen is sharper and more readable. with the glossy finish not so much a problem as it was in past years....

In the wake of a devastating loss to Apple in Federal Court, Samsung has blustered with threats and a publicity campaign that simply whines lies. There have been stories in even the national press that "Apple seeks to limit customer choice" in the smart phone and tablet market. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only thing Apple seeks to limit is Samsung and other companies freeloading on Apple technology and innovation.

I was surprised to see, in a recent on-line poll, that among young adults, a majority think Apple was not entitled to have won in court and that Samsung ought to be able to sell infringing phones. They just don't get it. It costs money to run research labs and hire smart people to come up with the iPhone magic we carry in our pockets. Even those Apple does this so well, we shouldn't reduce their ability to protect their inventions from others who steal those ideas.

The use of iPhones and iPads in the the workplace has seen a steady rise. That looks to continue, especially with regards to the Apple tablet.

S&P Capital IQ -- a provider of multi-asset class data, research and analytics -- recently released the results of a new survey detailing industry professionals' preference, use and likely future purchase intentions of financial apps and delivery systems.

Responses to the survey -- with more than 400 respondents from S&P Capital IQ's investment banking clients -- underscore the growing relevance of mobile devices in the workplace and how smartphones, tablets and investor-directed apps have become an integral part of users' personal and professional lives. Among the results the S&P Capital IQ survey uncovered are:

° BlackBerrys still matter, but iPhones play a significant role as a dual-use device: Devices used for work vary as 39% of respondents use a BlackBerry and 36% use an iPhone for business matters;...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8259444) for a highly portable media device and a patent (number 8256913) for a housing for a computing device. They involve, respectively, the iPod nano and a laptop design.

Patent number 825944 is for an improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the portable media device can also function as a solid-state drive for data storage. The form factor of the portable media device can be hand-held or smaller, such that it is highly portable. The portable media device can use one or more status indicators.

The portable media device can also include a peripheral bus connector, a rechargeable battery, and one or more input devices. According to another aspect, the portable media device has the capability to store media device status information in persistent memory before powering down.

An Apple patent (number 8257075) for a carbon composite mold design has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. IT shows that the company is at least considering carbon fiber housings for its laptop line.

The patent involves a mold assembly or system includes a moldbase that holds mold inserts and has embedded fluid lines to facilitate cooling during part formation. Mold inserts combine to form mold cavities that receive carbon fiber and resin components to form a carbon composite based part.

A permanent release coating along a mold component surface that contacts the carbon fiber and resin components facilitates the release of the finished part from the mold component. Guide pins and guide pin receiving holes facilitate accurate alignment of mold components.

Ejector pins within respective ejector pin shafts help eject a finished part from a respective mold component. An ejector pin shaft cover transfers force from an ejector pin to eject a...

Last year Phil Harrison, former president of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, said that the growth rate of Apple’s ecosystem is so large that in a decade's time there’s a chance Apple may "own" the gaming industry, as noted by "AppleHeadlines" (http://macte.ch/QvCZv).

"At this trajectory, if you extrapolate the market-share gains that they are making, forward for 10 years -- if they carry on unrestrained in their growth, then there’s a pretty good chance that Apple will be the games industry," he said. "... The fact that the consumer purchase and discovery mechanism is so well integrated – you see something on the App Store, you click a button, the product delivers to your device. That end-to-end shopping experience, if you want to call it that, has been so elegantly built by Apple and they will continue to refine it ... I think the future for the dedicated console as it is currently...

An Apple patent (number 20120218239) for backlight control of an electronic device has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Embodiments are provided in the patent that may be utilized to eliminate stray light emissions from an LED while ambient light is being sensed. As such, dynamic backlight control systems for use with an electronic display are presented including: an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light intensity; a backlight for illuminating the electronic display; a switch for controlling the backlight, the switch configured to set a backlight condition to ON or OFF in response to a backlight-off frequency such that the ambient light sensor senses the ambient light intensity in the absence of the backlight; a logic module for determining a backlight level in response to the ambient light intensity; and a backlight control circuit for adjusting the backlight to the backlight level in response to the ambient light intensity.

An Apple patent (number ) for accessory power management has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The patent is for methods, apparatus, and circuits for managing power among portable computing devices and one or more accessories.

One example provides commands to improve power management between a portable computing device and one or more accessories. Other examples provide commands that may allow a portable computing device to charge at a maximum available current level while providing an accessory with sufficient current for its proper operation.

Another may help prevent a portable computing device from drawing a high level of current that could be detrimental to an accessory, while others provide commands that may allow a battery pack to instruct a portable computing device to not charge its internal battery. Another example may allow a portable computing device to determine which power supply among multiple power supplies should be used to power an...

Only 11% of customers who purchase a high definition television do so because of its 3D capabilities, according to the J.D. Power and Associates' "2012 High Definition Television (HDTV) Report." I'm not surprised as people don't like wearing those wonky 3D glasses at home. Who knows? Perhaps Apple can change this.

The J.D. Power report examines satisfaction with HDTVs among customers who purchased one in the past 12 months. The report measures HDTV satisfaction across six factors (listed in order of importance): performance and reliability; ease of operating; competitiveness of the price paid; styling and appearance; variety of features; and warranty.

The report finds that 75% of customers indicate price was a reason they purchased their HDTV, followed by brand reputation (60%); positive reviews (37%); past experience with the brand (36%); quality of construction (33%); availability (31%); styling of the TV (29%); ease of use (21%); and 3D capability (11%).

An Apple patent (number 20120221961) for addressee-based message prioritization at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, showing that the company is looking to automate email sorting on its various devices.

Per the patent, in some implementations, messages received by an electronic messaging user (e.g., recipient) can be displayed in a user interface of an electronic messaging application. In some implementations, received messages can be prioritized based on how the messages are addressed to the user. In some implementations, received message can be displayed and highlighted based on the priority of each message. In some implementations, messages can be grouped and/or sorted based on the priority of each message.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "The volume of electronic messages (e.g., e-mail, text messages) sent and received by users can be overwhelming. As the volume of electronic messages received by users increases, it becomes...

A U.S. District Court Judge has granted Consumer Watchdog (www.ConsumerWatchdog.org ) the right to oppose Google's record US$22.5 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission because it allows the Internet giant to deny any wrongdoing.

"Google executives want to buy their way out of trouble with what for them is pocket change and then deny doing anything wrong," says John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project director. "Allowing this settlement undercuts the entire regulatory process. Companies and their executives must be held accountable when they violate legal agreements."

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston gave attorneys for the nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group until Sept. 21 to file an amicus, or friend of the court, brief opposing the settlement. In her order filed late Tuesday she said Google and the FTC would then have a week to respond. The judge...

Apple’s iPad and other tablets could have a positive impact on the television industry because viewers who use tablets to watch TV are more engaged in TV shows, according to Strategy Analytics’ latest research (www.strategyanalytics.com) into tablet owner behavior. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but that's not the case for me.

The report, "Users More Engaged with Video Consumption on Tablet than on TV," found that how people choose shows and how they watch them on tablets is very different from how they behave with the traditional "big screen" TV. Viewers are much less likely to be distracted when watching TV shows on the smaller tablet screen.

When they are 'watching' TV on the big screen, however, attention is often diverted towards second screen activities. The Strategy Analytics research also observed a clear distinction between the "alpha state' of TV viewers (deep relaxation) and the "beta...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8255323) for motion-based payment confirmation by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Methods and devices for confirming payment transactions are provided, such as those used at Apple retail stores.

In one embodiment, an electronic device may include a graphical user interface (GUI) with one or more graphical elements that may be moved by a user to confirm or decline a payment transaction using a selected payment instrument. For example, a user may drag the graphical element to a confirmation position via a touch screen of the electronic device. In another example, a motion sensing device, such as an accelerometer, may sense movement of the electronic device and move the graphical element in response to the motion.

Upon confirmation, payment information for the payment transaction may be transmitted to a merchant or payment recipient. Various additional methods, machine-readable media, and devices for confirming payment...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8,253,518) for a foldable cover for an electronic device. That would be the company's Smart Cover for the iPad.

A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described in the patent. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention.

The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.

Consumers increasingly want to bring content from their mobile devices to the big screen TV. No company has made this easier than Apple with its AirPlay technology, but competitors are coming.

Wi-Fi Direct supports peer-to-peer connections between Wi-Fi devices, while Miracast (Wi-Fi Display) supports display of video content from tablets, smartphones, and other devices to the TV. By 2014 over 66% of connected CE devices (non-mobile/computing devices) are expected to support Wi-Fi Direct, with the majority of those devices Miracast certified as well, according to ABI Research (www.abirearch.com). Miracast will facilitate developers bringing small screen content to the TV, according to the research group. Miracast certification is expected to come within the next few months, with Wi-Fi "services" coming in 2013 -- services that will enable new functions, such as printing or gaming.

A new Apple patent (number 8254902) for an apparatus and method for enforcing policies on a wireless device has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It hints at further location-aware settings for iOS device.

The patent is for an apparatus and methods for changing one or more functional or operational aspects of a wireless device, such as upon the occurrence of a certain event. In one embodiment, the event comprises detecting that the wireless device is within range of one or more other devices. In another variant, the event comprises the wireless device associating with a certain access point.

In this manner, various aspects of device functionality may be enabled or restricted (device "policies"). This policy enforcement capability is useful for a variety of reasons, including for example to disable noise and/or light emanating from wireless devices (such as at a movie theater), for preventing wireless devices from communicating with other wireless...

Researchers at Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Community Health Data Base (CHDB) determined from its 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey data that one in five SEPA adults, or 20%, that they never use the Internet, representing approximately 563,000 adults.

This is significant because, when it comes to finding information about personal health, more and more Americans are turning to the Internet as a valuable tool. According to a 2010 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, eight out of 10 Internet users have looked online for health information. Through Internet searches, consumers can access information on conditions, disease prevention, nutrition, physicians and more.

"Our results parallel those found in national data," says Rose Malinowski Weingartner, research associate at CHDB. "Internet usage and health may seem unrelated, but as more and more people use it to make informed decisions about health, it’s crucial...

Steve Jobs anticipated the eventual copy cat problem, should the iPhone and iPad be successful. I really don't think anyone at Apple knew at launch just how successful the new platform would become. Jobs gave fair warning at the launch of the first iPhone that Apple had patented the phone and software lavishly with numerous patents. The competition panned iPhone, but also began to reverse engineer the device.

Google had a head start developing the Android OS since their CEO was on the board of Apple. Steve Jobs had been vilified for not trusting people in various writings about his life. When you consider the crown jewels of technology that have been stolen right from under his nose, a lot can be excused. It is not paranoid to think you can't trust outsiders with your trade secret, but simply good business sense to work in absolute secrecy when you have been burned before by those who call themselves friends.

I love Apple's iWork apps: Pages, Numbers and Keynote. I use them whenever possible instead of Microsoft Office, and I know of several other folks who prefer Apple's own software titles. So now it's time for Apple to concentrate on making iWork a true Office "killer."

Of course, Pages, Numbers and Keynote aren't going to truly "kill" Word, Excel and PowerPoint. However, they could offer more serious competition. After all, Microsoft's Office software is bloated and hasn't been updated to take advantage of the features of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, much less Mountain Lion. As for Retina display support, well, according to Microsoft, you shouldn't hold your breath.

The last update to the iWork apps came in 2009, so it's time for some revamping. For one thing, the apps -- especially Pages -- could load faster. As Alexis Kayhall so eloquently put in in a "Mac360" (http://macte.ch/ElLsn) blog, "I use Calendar to...

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